With respect to sanitary napkins, at least three general classes of design exits. One such design includes those sanitary napkins which are generally cupped or boat-shaped and which are intended to catch menses as it runs or drips from the vaginal orifice. Sanitary napkins of this class are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,759, entitled "Reduced Leakage Menstrual Pad With Built-in Fold Lines", Romans-Hess et al., issued on Apr. 7, 1987.
A second class of design includes those that are raised upwardly or humped in their medial portions so to be near or in contact with the pudendal region when worn. Sanitary napkins of this class are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,177, entitled "Three-Dimensional Shaped Feminine Pad With Narrow, Absorbent Center and Winged Edges", Ellis et al., issued on Oct. 20, 1987.
The third class of sanitary napkin design includes those that are not predisposed to have a trough or a hump shape when worn, but instead have a more or less rope-like shape when worn. Such sanitary napkins typically have a fluff pulp absorbent core surrounded by flexible outer wraps. When the sanitary napkin is subjected to compressive forces from the wearer's thighs, the fluff pulp core simply compacts or bunches into an arbitrary, but generally rope-like shape. Sanitary napkins of this class are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,478, entitled "Shaped Sanitary Napkin With Flaps", Van Tilburg, issued on Aug. 18, 1987. Attempts have been made to prevent the bunching effect of such compaction type sanitary napkins by providing them with a form-retaining member. Such sanitary napkins are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,634, entitled "Sanitary Napkin with Resilient Stiffening Means", DiSalvo et al., issued on Apr. 1, 1980.
All of the above references are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
While the sanitary napkins and other devices discussed above do provide some measure of success in absorbing and containing body exudates, they fail to provide a sanitary napkin which closely conforms to and fits the cross-sectional outline of the pudendal region as soon as applied without requiring the usual bending, twisting or other adjustments or manipulations. Also, they fail to provide a sanitary napkin which will always retain such conformity simply due to its reformable and resilient characteristics.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article which closely conforms to and fits the cross-sectional outline of the external surfaces of the pudendal region.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article, preferably an ultra thin napkin for panties, with a plurality of bend lines (i.e., embossed channels, folds and/or creases), with a body facing surface wherein the body facing surface has both a convex upward configuration and a convex downward configuration when the napkin is subjected to the lateral compressive forces of the wearer's thighs. Preferably the absorbent article has a plurality of predisposed bend regions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an absorbent article, preferably an ultra thin napkin, with a plurality of bend lines (i.e., embossed channels, folds and/or creases), with a body facing surface, wherein the body facing surface is "V" or "U" shaped in the front region and inverted "V" or "U" shaped in the rear region when the napkin is subjected to the lateral compressive forces of the wearer's thighs. Preferably the absorbent article has a plurality of pre-established bend lines, has a uniform thickness of from about 1 mm to about 13 mm, preferably from about 2 mm to about 8 mm and is substantially rectangular, with rounded corners.